HP ’s Color LaserJet 2605dtn is an inexpensive colour laser printing machine with a few features not loosely found in budget printers . For instance , the 2605dtn sportsman PostScript 3 emulation , a second 250 - sheet newspaper tray , Ethernet connectivity , built - in automatic duplexing capabilities , and a built - in memory add-in reader . Even though its mark quality , while very good , is n’t the best we ’ve seen , and its print speed , while quick , is n’t the riotous , this printer — with all of its features have as a whole — is a real buy .
Setup
A true desktop color laser , the 2605dtn is design to stand high where many printers sit deep , making it an loose scene for most workspaces . Compared to one of my current favorites , the Oki C6100dn ( ) , the two printers are about the same width , but the HP is six inches shallower and six inches tall than the Oki . Four inch of the HP ’s height can be attributed to the second paper tray , a feature that can make unnecessary you time by not having to load newspaper as often , or by yield you the ability to print with two dissimilar kind of paper , legal size or brilliant blanched for example , by limit the right tray in the print driver . you may connect the printer to your Mac via the USB 2.0 porthole , or over an Ethernet electronic internet . Both worked well , and the pressman supports Apple ’s zero configuration connection communications protocol , Bonjour , and showed up automatically in our pressman list .
Speed
While not exactly a upper daemon , the 2605dtn end most examination ( 10 - Sir Frederick Handley Page Microsoft Word , 22 Bachelor of Medicine Photoshop , and four - page PDF ) in roughly the middle of the pack compared to other color lasers we ’ve late tested . The printed output was of very good quality , with sharp , legible text — even at tiny breaker point sizing . Some colored school text , green for example , was a minuscule erose in our PDF test — but this seems to be the causa with many color laser in this price range . The printing machine also mark well in our graphics and photographic tests , with no obvious banding in colouring material slope . The colors , however , tended to be a little too reddened in our people of color photo test , and there was a very faint bloodless scheme around some objects .
Speaking of photos , the 2605dtn includes a built - in wit reader for printing your snapshots without require the use of your computer . The slots patronize CompactFlash , SmartMedia , MultiMediaCard , Memory Stick , Memory Stick Pro , Secure Digital , and xD Picture Cards . Inserting a card institute up several text menus on the printer ’s modest , two - line , 16 - character reference display . you could employ the menus to print out an index piece of paper , which assigns each pic a number . you could then utilise the menu to select one or all of the exposure , the mark size of it , and the media that you desire to use . These optical maser print wo n’t rival a expert inkjet in terms of deliver science lab - caliber photograph , but its good for quick , inexpensive prints .
timed trials
Scale = Minutes : Seconds
jury tests
weighing machine : Superior , Very unspoiled , Good , Fair , Poor
specifications
Macworld’s buying advice
While the HP 2605dtn may not be the fastest color laser pressman we ’ve tested , its photographic print quality , expand composition handling selection , build - in duplex capabilities , networking , and crushed price make for quite a bargain .
[ James Galbraith isMacworld ’s lab managing director . ]
